Edinburgh Past And Present - The Edinburgh Website

Warriston

Origin of Name: Also previously Waranstone or Waristoun, tun being Anglian for farm or possibly from Scots toun. Warin is an old Norse name and warin Anglo Norman.

Position: Trinity to the north, Inverleith to the west, Canonmills to the south and Leith Bonnington to the east. See map above.

Historical Notes: Warriston is first mentioned in 1467 and in the early16th century it was owned by the Somerville family who had a house on the site of the future Warriston House. In 1581 the Rocheid family owned the estate. Heriots hospital - now a school - acquired the estate in 1706 and they still have a small part of it with their rugby ground at Goldenacre. The estate was divided in the late 18th century and William Ramsay built West Warriston House around 1784. Andrew Bonar - an Edinburgh banker - acquired East Warriston in 1795 and built East Warriston house in 1808. Warriston Road was an ancient right of way but new streets began to emerge on the estate from 1807 with Warriston Crescent and Howard Place both being planned. In 1817 the Henderson family took over West Warriston and they continued limited development in the 1870s with Warriston Terrace (swept away in 1900 for a cricket ground) and Eilden Street. Warriston cemetery was opened in 1843 as a garden cemetery and operated by the Edinburgh Cemetery Company. Easter Warriston House was converted into Warriston Crematorium in 1929, the most original part of the old house being the north side. The access road called Cemetery Road was renamed Warriston Gardens in 1930 with Warriston Grove and Eildon Terrace following shortly after. Eildon Terrace was once the driveway to Warriston House and was not completed until the House was removed in 1966.

Today: A pleasant area consisting mainly of low rise flats of all possible varieties. There are few shops or businesses (some at the north end of Inverleith Row) but many areas to walk and some nice views from St Mark's Park.

Did You Know: The Polish composer Chopin stayed at No 10 Warriston Crescent in 1848 and a plaque was erected on the front of the building in 1948 by the Polish community to commemorate this.

Goldenacre was once a disjointed part of Easter Granton. The name suggests arable land with a yellow type of flower. Goldenacre Terrace was built in 1887.

Links: Warriston comes under Stockbridge & Inverleith community council at: